Seven players to watch down the stretch
11/30/2007
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So heading into week 12, one of my fantasy football teams was 6-5 and tied for third place in an eight-team league despite having scored the second most points this season. After pathetic performances by Reggie Bush and Roy Williams, I found myself leading my game by just 1.2 points while the other team still had Jeff Reed going on Monday night. Considering how the Steelers (and Reed) have been playing, I chalked the game up as a loss and went about my day.
A few hours later, I turn on the Monday night game at the beginning of the fourth quarter and, lo and behold, the Steelers and the Dolphins are entrenched in a 0-0 tie. There is hope, after all!
The Steelers’ final drive was excruciating. First, I’m rooting for them to stay out of field goal range. Then, once they’re inside the 20, I’m rooting for Pittsburgh to punch it in. I can afford an extra point, but I can’t afford a Jeff Reed field goal.
The Steelers get a first and goal at the 6-yard line, and after three suspect play calls, Jeff Reed trots out onto the field to attempt a 27-yard field goal. I am resigned to losing, but Ron Jaworski insists on saying things like “every kick is an adventure” and that “this one is no gimme,” blowing some unwanted wind into my sails.
Snap, kick, field goal good.
Fantasy football is a bitchy mistress.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at a few players who should outperform their current positional rankings over the last four weeks of the fantasy season. These players are either peaking at the right time or have favorable matchups down the stretch (or a combination of the two). In parenthesis, I’ll list each player’s current positional ranking in Antsports’ High Performance Scoring System.
QUARTERBACK
Kurt Warner, Cardinals (QB17)
Over the last three games, Warner has thrown for 954 yards and seven TD against the Lions, Bengals and 49ers. The favorable schedule continues this week as the Browns come to town and Warner has another nice matchup in Week 15 against the Saints. Games against Seattle and Atlanta in weeks 14 and 16 aren’t great, but they aren’t horrible either. If Warner can stay upright, he’ll be a starter down the stretch.
RUNNING BACKS
Jamal Lewis, Browns (RB12)
Over the next four weeks, Lewis (right) faces the Cardinals (15th against the run), the Jets (31st), the Bills (23rd) and the Bengals (25th), giving him one of the easiest remaining schedules of any RB in the league. He has already outperformed his draft position, but he should be able to climb a few spots over the last month of the season as he faces these porous defenses.
Ryan Grant, Packers (RB30)
Considering he didn’t take over at RB until week 8, Grant should outperform his current positional ranking if he simply continues to start, but after a fairly tough matchup against the Cowboys this week, he faces the Raiders, Rams and Bears – three teams that have struggled mightily against the run this season. The Packers run game is improving, and Grant is the main reason why.
Frank Gore, 49ers (RB11)
Before his 214-yard, 2 TD outburst against the Cardinals, Gore was having a very quiet season. He faces the Panthers (20th against the run) this week and has the Bengals (25th) and the Bucs (17th) in weeks 15 & 16. Next week, he has the Vikings, who have given up more fantasy points to RBs lately, so Gore should be a top 6 or 7 back over the final month of the season.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Braylon Edwards, Browns (WR8)
It’s hard to improve on such a good season, but if Edwards stays healthy, he should improve his positional ranking over the next month. He faces the Cardinals, Jets, Bills and Bengals, so just like teammate Jamal Lewis, he should be in line for some big games, as there isn’t a bad matchup in the bunch. Helping his cause is the Browns’ defense, which can’t seem to stop anyone, keeping the offense in attack mode for 60 minutes each week.
Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs (WR23)
Bowe (right) has proven in his rookie season that he is the real deal. In 11 games, he is averaging 4.5 catches for 66 yards and 0.4 TD. Over the last four weeks, he faces the Chargers, Broncos, Titans and Lions, four teams that have struggled against the pass to varying degrees this season. If all goes well, Bowe will have a couple of big games down the stretch and crack the top 20 by the time the season comes to a close.
TIGHT END
Vernon Davis, 49ers (TE14)
Many owners (understandably) gave up on one of the most hyped players of the summer when he went down with an injury in week 3. But since his return in week 7, Davis (right) has averaged 4.7 catches for 45 yards and 0.3 TD per game. Had he performed at that level for the entire season, he would be TE8, and with games against the Panthers, Vikings and Bengals over the next three weeks, he might make a push for the top 10 by season’s end.
If you have any of these players on your roster, be sure to get them into your lineup when you can. Conversely, if you face them in the playoffs, don’t be surprised if one of these guys crushes all of your hopes and dreams.
After all, fantasy football is a bitchy mistress.
Send questions and comments to jpaulsen@bullz-eye.com.